The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-11
CONVICT LABOR IN PRISONS.
The Piece-Price VS.. the Contract System-Res
suit of Two Years Trial in New Jersey.

Special to the Indianaeoiis Journal.
TRENTON, n. j., Dec. 10.-The labor organizs
atoms of the country never insisted more siren
uously anything than they did few years
age on the abolition of the convict contract sys-
tenn in the various State prisons where it was IN
vogue Labor leaders stated that convict labor
injured honest labor by the contract system. be-
cause it made the contest unequal The claim
was presented SO strongly and persistently that
the New Jersey Legislature. in advance Of all
Others, two years ago. adopted the piece-price
system In the State prison here. It was the
system the labor organizations themselves de-
sired to have introduced, and said they would
be satisfied with Supervisor Butler is now pre-
pairing his annual report. and he says he VIII
prove conclusively that the piece-price system is
a failure, and is doing more to injure honest
labor than the old method. He has given GER
tain labor leaders chance to investigate for
themselves, and they are understood to have al
ready reached the same conclusion arrived at by
the supervisor. They have ascertained that
more convict goods are going out of the State,
and so undertaking honest labor goods. than
went out under the contract system.
This is the second year of the plan, and
it has been in operation long enough to be fairly
and thoroughly tested. The production this
year will be larger than during 1856. The aver
age, however will be the same. Under she old
contract system the State received fifty cents a
day. The earnings of the convcts amounted to
s6l. sos. Under the pioce price system they re-
ceive only thirty-nine cents. The State loss IS
SIG 4I2 by the change
The contractors in dealing with the prison
inspectors. took advantage of their ignorance OF
the cost of production to make exceedingly low
rates. On this account the convicts are worked
harder and produce more goods than was put on
the market during the contract system. The
average price paid by the shirt contractors for
making shirts is 81 76 cents per dozen. They
paw ]. 10 cents per dozen for working button
holes John q. Iredell, of the shoe contract
ors pays IL 81 cents for making a pair of wom-
ems shoes. The other contractor, William
Mcknight, gives l6 4o per pair Howell b
Brother, makers of hosiery. pay II 65 cents per
dozen for half hose. The average per diem in
the brush shop for each convict is 81 IS CENTS in
the hosiery shop. -: 80; A there are Only three res
convicts exceed an average of so cents day.
Those working on button-holes in the shirt shop,
those on heel turns in the shoe shop, and those
on parts under contract of John Tobin & Co.
The average of the men in all the shops is 80 50
cents per day-a difference Of q. 80 cents day
to the State The law only allows 100 men
worked harder because of the low prices paid
for their work. They obliged to turn out SO
much more work, and, with all that, the differ
ence between the two systems is strikIngly
large. Under the old plan the prison authori-
ties were only to preserve order In the shops,
leaving the contractors to force the men 10 WORK
The men now are looked after by the officers.
for all idleness and play is at the expense OF the
State. Keeper Patterson, in an interview with
your cor respondent, said:
The system is the only that / have
known, but / am credibly informed that the
old system was superior. The very object that
the labor men wanted to secure by having the
new law passed is made more troublesome by
the operations of the law. The present contracts
have three years yet to run. What the prlson
authorities expect to do, I cannot say. The law
directly stipuates that the convicts can only he-
employed the piece-price system or else the
State must go into business and run these shops
themselves. This means vast amount OF cer~
zeal work, and the employment fexpert works
men to handle the men. The State Is, however.
losing by the operation of the present
plan. Not only must the difference be-
tween the fifty cents a day under the contract
system and the average made per man now be
considered. but there is twenty per cent more
goods made up, and their cost must be added to-
the fifty cents. The matter will no doubt re-
ceive some attention in the way of discussions
during the term of the legislature"
The other States in the Union that have
adopted the piece-price system. and in fact all
the States that employ their couvicts for manuf
featuring purposes. cannot fail to be interested
in the outcome here in New Jersey
LAWRENCE S. MORT.